Nintendo Switch: The Console That Keeps Charging You For Extras
Last September I considered buying a Nintendo Switch but decided to defer doing so. This was mainly because, despite having a unique back catalogue of games, I didn't feel at the time there was a single “must have” title. However since then, I have been subject to increased lobbying from my Granddaughters. They’re going to be six in June and are now at an age where instead of just watching others play games, they want to actively participate. Plus they have encountered console gaming at their Uncle’s house. At present, the only child friendly game I have on the PC is Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout. This means playing in the office, which doesn’t easily facilitate one adult and two, fidgety children. So I finally capitulated and bought a Nintendo Switch yesterday. It arrived today.
Setting the Switch is easy, as is creating an online account with Nintendo. Connecting it to the TV in the lounge was also straightforward and simple. I wish I could say the same about adding a new name to the TV’s list of source inputs but that is a matter I need to take up with Samsung and not Nintendo’s problem. Let it suffice to say that within an hour of unboxing my shiny new Switch I was good to go. Accept that I actually wasn’t. I had just one controller and no games. So I subsequently bought a code for Mario Kart 8 along with an additional wireless controller, so that sofa based, two player gaming could be indulged. Now I was impressed how quickly it took to download and install the game after inputting the code. But I wasn’t blown away by the amount of storage the Switch has. So I then had to buy a 256 GB Micro SD card. Oh let’s not forget if you want to save your games via the cloud and do social stuff, you need Nintendo Switch Online, which is a subscription service.
Nintendo products and the brand itself occupy a unique niche within the video games industry and gaming culture. They do what they do extremely well and as a result have a strong fan and consumer base. I say this to demonstrate that I’m not anti Nintendo per se. But damn, don’t they like charging you for every little thing conceivable? I’m pretty certain that when I bought my first SNES back in the early nineties, at least it came with two controllers. You could also buy the console bundled with a game or two. I am fully aware that you can do that now with the Switch but not with any significant discount. All bundles I’ve seen appear to be at the same price as buying the items individually. Also, there doesn’t seem to be the culture of discounting older titles. Switch games on physical media are expensive and their digital equivalents even more so.
I am not a wealthy man, nor am I hard up. But I do find it somewhat annoying when companies pursue this “sell everything separately” approach. The Nintendo Switch cost £280. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe a further £50. A 256 GB Micro SD card a further £33. A second wireless controller (non-Nintendo) added a further £34 to the bill. Oh and let’s not forget £7 for 3 months access to Nintendo Switch Online. A total of £404 to finally be in a position for two players to adequately enjoy gaming together. I worry for those non-tech savvy people who decided to buy a Switch for a child only to find that their original budget is not going to cut it. It would be nice if Nintendo did a comprehensive starter pack with some sort of discount. However, upon mature reflection that is not really likely, is it? But setting these gripes aside, I am glad I finally bought a Switch. Mario Kart is still a sublime and near perfect title. And I’m also looking forward to playing games on a handheld device. I just don’t see my Switch expenditure being as profligate as my spending on PC gaming.
